This late afternoon (sunny before the deluge) I strapped on the 4" Makita belt sander and started into the small hunk of cedar. It's not the thickest slab but it's got the meats. Cleaning up nice but it's not real flat.

So I get an idea. The electric planer. The slab has a cup to it, but the cup direction is oddly opposite the growth ring curves. Not much I can do other than take material off along the outer edge left and right - lengthwise. So I take 1/16" off. The step closer to the center and take 1/32" off. Sure now I have a step function, but it is sanding up nicely. Had to knock off, but will continue with 80 grit to smooth out. The step up the grit to 120 and so on. Also get the 3" belt sander out for edge work, a couple files helps here. Then a little palm and hand sanding. The person I'm giving it to will finish and add legs of her choice.

Yes, WRC, despite the tendency towards a honey-colored heartwood. I think you said you wanted a small piece of Walnut but wanted to make sure that you had options in case the walnut wasn't enough, so I shotgunned your order. I don't remember which pieces exactly... Just tried to cover possibilities.

_________________"The greatest challenge that I faced was peeling back the layers of my own bias"

"There are violent crazy murderous people in our society! We need to give up all of our means of self-protection IMMEDIATELY!"

Yes, WRC, despite the tendency towards a honey-colored heartwood. I think you said you wanted a small piece of Walnut but wanted to make sure that you had options in case the walnut wasn't enough, so I shotgunned your order. I don't remember which pieces exactly... Just tried to cover possibilities.

Shotgun is good! Price is perfect.

The WRC slab kinda proved a hand electric planer may be of some use. Yes the color is subtle, but she says she will be using it indoors. I think with a nice finish it will look sweet.

The walnut piece is TBD still. I may cut in two. Will stew on it.

That last piece LOOKS like fir.

I will take pics, probably tomorrow. But anyhow a HUGE THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You do some amazing work producing those slabs from the trees. I have a friend that purchased some acreage in Oregon to build his retirement home. He built his shop, first thing he built, with the lumber he produced from the trees he had to clear off. Would love to build a reloading table from one of those slabs when we get our retirement home in Oregon as well. Grew up in Tillamook, hoping to end up in the area again.

Would love to build a reloading table from one of those slabs when we get our retirement home in Oregon as well. Grew up in Tillamook, hoping to end up in the area again.

The reloading table/bench setups that I have seen demonstrated on WaGuns and on other platforms was a big reason why I wanted to see some thick slabs make it to WaGunners. So many people build workbenches out of 1x or 3/4" material, and the flexing just becomes part of the process. I grimace every time I see a work operation that requires unnecessary flexing of some part, especially the very work surface. The energy that went in to flexing the surface (or tool) has to be exerted double: once to flex it, and again when releasing the flex. It's not a zero sum game. It's a 2x game. 4" thick reloading benches make me happy.

_________________"The greatest challenge that I faced was peeling back the layers of my own bias"

"There are violent crazy murderous people in our society! We need to give up all of our means of self-protection IMMEDIATELY!"

This one has me scratching my head. It looks like that piece doesn't have any heartwood, but by ring count it certainly does. The color will show better after it is oiled and finished. The colors are richer, darker, more "contrast" when they are still green, and they recover that contrast (and more) when finished certain ways. Is the other side of that slab just as "weak" in contrast?I'll have a batch of cedar through the mill in a month or so to compare, although it is not green either. Soldier Citizen Mike came over and helped me and my sons drop a couple of westward leaning Cedars hanging over my workshop right as a westward blowing storm arrived. That was a few years ago, and the logs have aged on the log deck since. Cedars have a very wide variety of characteristics, even to rot resistance. Color, grain, strength, flex - can all be different between two trees of the same variety, depending on the type and wetness of soil as well as the common differences in sun/shade patterns. Cedars that grow up in certain types of swampy soil are not rot-resistant... Some seem to rot even faster than Douglas Fir. Douglas Fir is one of the most underappreciated rot-resistant woods there is. I think that this is because it is such a common tree, and because it is used so much for framing lumber that we're accustomed to using it for its strength and covering it up with drywall. Cut well and finished right, it can be every bit as attractive, beautiful as the hardwoods. But we're used to seeing that grain in 2x6s, so... => "commonplace." Medullary rays may be more striking in Oaks and such, and Black Walnut may have nicer "natural" colors, but thick slabs of Doug Fir are the bee's knees and underappreciated. IMHO.

_________________"The greatest challenge that I faced was peeling back the layers of my own bias"

"There are violent crazy murderous people in our society! We need to give up all of our means of self-protection IMMEDIATELY!"

This one has me scratching my head. It looks like that piece doesn't have any heartwood, but by ring count it certainly does. The color will show better after it is oiled and finished. The colors are richer, darker, more "contrast" when they are still green, and they recover that contrast (and more) when finished certain ways. Is the other side of that slab just as "weak" in contrast?I'll have a batch of cedar through the mill in a month or so to compare, although it is not green either. Soldier Citizen Mike came over and helped me and my sons drop a couple of westward leaning Cedars hanging over my workshop right as a westward blowing storm arrived. That was a few years ago, and the logs have aged on the log deck since. Cedars have a very wide variety of characteristics, even to rot resistance. Color, grain, strength, flex - can all be different between two trees of the same variety, depending on the type and wetness of soil as well as the common differences in sun/shade patterns. Cedars that grow up in certain types of swampy soil are not rot-resistant... Some seem to rot even faster than Douglas Fir. Douglas Fir is one of the most underappreciated rot-resistant woods there is. I think that this is because it is such a common tree, and because it is used so much for framing lumber that we're accustomed to using it for its strength and covering it up with drywall. Cut well and finished right, it can be every bit as attractive, beautiful as the hardwoods. But we're used to seeing that grain in 2x6s, so... => "commonplace." Medullary rays may be more striking in Oaks and such, and Black Walnut may have nicer "natural" colors, but thick slabs of Doug Fir are the bee's knees and underappreciated. IMHO.

It's heartwood, just not dark and supposedly oily. The reverse is the same. I agree, WRC varies. A lot. My replacement siding for the door project is nearly coffee color. Sometimes I have trouble painting such dark heartwood, hence my worry about primer.

Yes doug fir is a pretty wood. I have seen some in Japanese themed areas that is gorgeous. And some in 100 year old homes that is almost red brown from age, but as sound as the day it was nailed in place.

How are you guys planning to de-bark the slabs without damaging the live edge?

Cedar it pretty much comes off easy. The patio table it just was falling off, so I just rounded off every sharp bit of the outer sap wood.

The walnut is a bigger mystery. The bark it pretty nasty looking in my opinion. Full of dust and crap. Unsure how easy it will come off or even what I'm going to make now. I was thinking some kind of sofa table.

_________________"The said constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms." ~ Samuel Adams

"I love Girl Scout Crack!" ~ usrifle

“A return to First Principles in a Republic is sometimes caused by simple virtues of a single man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example. Before all else, be armed!” ~ Niccolo Machiavelli

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